Tag: 1940s

Mildred Gillars was an American actress who was employed by the Third Reich in Nazi Germany to broadcast propaganda during World War II. Along with Rita Zucca, Gillars was nicknamed “Axis Sally”. Gillars was captured in Berlin following the end of the war, and was convicted of treason in the … Continue reading

Merrill’s Marauders were a special operations jungle warfare unit of the United States Army during World War II. The Marauders were organized as light infantry assault units who fought in South-East Asia, and were known for engaging Japanese forces behind Japanese lines. On February 24, 1944, the force began a … Continue reading

Satchel Paige was an American baseball pitcher who played in both the Negro leagues and in Major League Baseball (MLB). On February 9, 1971, Paige was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, becoming the first Negro leagues player to receive the honor. Paige was also the oldest rookie to … Continue reading

On February 8, 1942, Japan invaded Singapore, capturing the city-state on February 15, 1942. Singapore was the major British military base in South-East Asia. The capture of Singapore by the Japanese led to the largest surrender of British-led military personnel in history, making 80,000 troops prisoners of war. In this … Continue reading

During World War II, Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish businessman and diplomat, saved the lives of tens of thousands of Jews living in Nazi-occupied Hungary. While working as Sweden’s special envoy in Budapest from July to December of 1944, Wallenberg issued protective passports and sheltered Jews in buildings designated as Swedish … Continue reading

Operation Anthropoid was the code name for the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, who was the head of the security services of Nazi Germany and was in charge of carrying out the Final Solution and Holocaust of the Jews in Europe. Preparations for the operation began on December 28, 1941, and … Continue reading

Nat King Cole’s daughter, widow, and others explain what Cole’s “The Christmas Song” means to them and their relationship with the beloved icon. They also touch on the challenges the singer had to experience in his personal life with his health and the racism he endured throughout the 1940s and … Continue reading

It’s A Wonderful Life premiered in New York on December 20, 1946. It went on to be nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and continues to be one of the most critically-acclaimed American films of all time. In this video, Jimmy Stewart, who played George Bailey, talks about … Continue reading